Petera pkoto-uthoosafher



(No lilodel'.) 2 Sheets-P-Sheet .1.

P. B. WILLIAMS.

Folding B-e d. NO. 241L486. I Patented April 19,1881.

N-PETERS, PHOYO-LITNOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. nc.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. B. WILLIAMS.

- I Folding Bed.

No. 240,486. Paten'ted April 19, I881.-

N PETERS. PNOTO-UTNDORAFNER, WASHINGTON. a, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FITZALLAN B. WILLIAMS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO WALDO A. WILLIAMS, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,486, dated April 19, 1881.

Application filed December 4, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known thatI, FITZALLAN B.W1LLIAus,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi- 5 nois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Beds, of which the following is a specification.

The objectof the invention is to facilitate the folding and unfolding of the bed, and to effect this by a small counterbalancing-weight.

The improvements consist in a shifting fulcrum or pivot upon which the bed is folded, and in the arrangementof the weight, which is such that the weight, by the shifting of the fulcrum,

1 has greater leverage when the bed is unfolded. During the folding of the bed thefulcrum shifts in a contrary direction; but as the weight is hinged at a point above the fulcrum the leverage is not in fact shortened by the shifting until the weight-hinge is brought, in folding, be-

low the level of the fulcrum. This should not take place until the bed is more than half closed. As a result of the shifting fulcrum the bed can be brought nearer to the floor when unfolded and nearer to the upright frame, and so morev compact when folded. The weight, partially by the shifting fulcrum and partially by being hinged above the fulcrum,is made to operate through greater space, and hence less weight is 0 required.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, on line no .r, Fig. 2, of the bed unfolded, the head-board be- 3 5 in gremoved, showin g,in perspective, the shiftin g fulcrum, the side rail, the pivot for connectin g the weight, and a supplem entalrod for folding the legs of the bed. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the bed, looked at from thefoot, showing 0 the head-board, made hollow for containing the weight, 850., one'door being open. Fig. 3 is an end view of the head-board detached, showing the manner of its support upon the head end of the side rails of the bed, and a swinging movement in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the bedstead having portions of the upright frame broken away to show the shifting fulcrum and its contacting cleat upon the side rail of one side of the bed, and the position of the head-board in the upright frame. Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross-section on line yy,

Fig. 4, showing the structure of the head-board and the means for retaining it in a vertical position.

Likeletters of reference refer to like parts throughout all the views.

A designates the upright stationary frame of the bed, and B the folding frame, which is made up of the two side rails of the bed and the head and foot cross-pieces.

C designates the shifting fulcrums, there being one for each of the side rails, arranged to support the side rails near their head end. This fulcrum consists of the segment of a circle extending from a point, 0, at or near the lower central portion of the upright frame, to a point,

0, at or near its front edge, at about the height desired for the bottom of the side rails when the bed is unfolded. Corresponding segments or straiflit cleats C, Fig. 4, are attached to the outer sides of the side rails, directly above and so as to rest upon and be supported by the segments 0. In order to prevent an y slipping of these segments, or segmentand cleat, upon each other, Iform cogs or corresponding notches 7 5 in both. The slipping, however, may be prevented by an iron strap attached to the head end of the upper segment and to the upper end ofthe lower segment, when both are made plain or without cogs, so that the strap will come between the segments when folding the bed;

or a rod of iron may be similarly attached to the upright frame and side rails, so as to play alongside the segments and effect a similar result. ln folding the bed the fulcrum of leverage is shifted from the extreme outer upper end of segments 0 to the inner lower end, and vice versa when unfolding. The segments are made of cast-iron, with flanges having screwholes, to be attached to the base of the upright 0 frame and outside of the side rails by screws,

in the manner stated.

The head-board D is made hollow, to contain the weights W, and provided with doors (1 for puttin gin and removingthe weights, as desired. 9 5 This hollow space may be made large enough and provided with shelves for storing bedding, books, or other small household articles. This head-board is fitted at each end into grooves c in the sides of the upright frame, so as to play up and down therein. It is supported on pivots f at the top, resting in grooves or slots f in the top ends of upright bars E, attached to a supplemental board, F, below the head-board. The lower ends of the bars E are provided with slots into which pins 0 upon the head ends of the side rails are fitted. The weight in the head-board is thus supported upon the pins 0 which, with their connectingslot 0, form hinges, considerably above the level of the fold:

. ing-fulcrum, and the upright bars E, as the ward a radial line extending vertically from the under side of the fulcrum, thus giving a shorter leverage when beginning to unfold and a longer leverage when beginning to fold the bed. The effect of the segments is to carry the bottom of the folding frame in toward the upright frame when folding. This effect can be increased or lessened by increasing or lessening the curve of the segments. By this shifting of the fulcrum the bed can be brought as near down to the floor as desired, and at the same time give suffieient leverage to operate the bed with comparativelysmall weightsay from fifty to seventy poundsthe weight usually required being from three to five hundred pounds without my invention.

The supplemental board F and bars E may be dispensed with by extending the head-board down in place of board F and attaching the pins 0 directly thereto in any equivalent manner; but in such case the pivotsf should play up and down in slot 0, leaving the bottom of the head-board free to swing back and forth, as the bars E do. The sliding down of the head-board, when the bed is folded, leaves the top open at the back for ventilation.

The legs Gr of the bed are folded and unfolded by rods g, which are so pivoted to lugs g upon the legs and to pivotal levers H H as to cause the rods to be thrust toward the legs when unfolding and drawn back when folding the bed by the movement of the side rails, thus causing the legs to be folded and unfolded with the bed.

Having thus described my in vention,what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In a folding bed, a shifting fulcrum consisting of two segments, or of a segment and straight projecting cleat, in combination with the upright frame and folding frame, substantially as specified.

2. In a folding bed, the head-board provided with weights and hinged to the head end of the folding frame at a point above the fulcrum, so that the leverage of the weight shall be increased during the first half of the operation of folding the bed, substantially as specified.

3. In a folding bed, a shifting fulcrum, in combination with the Weight hinged to its lever at a point above the level of the fulcrum, substantially as set forth.

4. In a folding bed, the weight hinged to its lever at a point considerably above the level of its fulcrum.

5. In a folding bed, the head-board made hollow and provided with one or more doors and shelves, and arranged to slide up and down on the upright frame, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. In a folding bed, the rod g, in combination with lug g upon the leg and pivotal levers H H, all secured and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose specified.

FITZALLAN B. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

J N0. H. WHIPPLE, RICHARD W. CLIFFORD. 

